


uneasy lies the head that (doesn't) wears the crown

by Yagirlkore



Category: The Ascendance Series - Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: Adoption, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Angst, Betrayal, Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Conspiracy, Distrust, Eavesdropping, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Gossip, Implied/Referenced Torture, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Protective Big Brother Darius, Restraints, Secrets, Shock, Spoilers for TCK, Threats, Treason
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:07:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yagirlkore/pseuds/Yagirlkore
Summary: SPOILERS FOR THE CAPTIVE KINGDOM AND THE ENTIRE ASCENDANCE SERIESWhat if Conner hadn't sent Darius to Belland? What if Darius knew the truth of his birth much earlier on? What if Darius was kept at Farthenwood after his the royal family's deaths? How would this have changed, not only Jaron, but all of Carthya?
Relationships: Amarinda of Bultain & Darius Eckbert, Amarinda of Bultain & Jaron Artolius Eckbert III, Darius Eckbert & Bevin Conner, Darius Eckbert & Jaron Artolius Eckbert III, Darius Eckbert & Mott (The Ascendance Series), Jaron Artolius Eckbert III & Imogen, Jaron Artolius Eckbert III & Roden & Tobias
Comments: 68
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I am super excited to be sharing with you all the prologue of my newest fic, inspired through Discord. I currently have the first few chapters in the works and hopefully will be updating this once or twice a week, depending on the work I have written and the response to this. I hope you all enjoy!

The young man woke up slowly as his senses came back to him. He had no idea where he was as he slowly sat up in the bed. A few minutes passed as he studied the dark room and attempted to find out where he was, when a familiar man walked into the room. The man had a smile on his face that became unsettling to the young man, but for reasons he couldn’t find. The man sat down on the far side of the room and told the young man that there was much information that had been kept a secret from him. 

The familiar man wanted to let the younger man know of the misgivings against him, but first he confessed that he must apologize to the young man. He had the most unfortunate job of informing the young man that his family had passed while the young man was asleep. The older man confessed that he had not had time to save them all and had made the decision to save the young man. The man said that he must apologize for this because the man knew the truth of the young man’s birth and had saved him for what some would call all the wrong reasons. He called himself a patriot, while some would have him known as a traitor. 

At this point, in the very much one sided conversation, the young man was very confused and upset. And it was very rightfully so that the young man felt this way, especially as the familiar man continued his story with the promise of a future that wouldn’t seem as dark, and the young man continued to listen in. He silently remembered the words of the now deceased king, warning him. The warning bells continued to ring as the man told him of the true circumstances of his birth and the lies surrounding his life. The man told him of how the woman who had given birth to the younger man had been in this very house. He told him of how this was the place he took his first breath, as she took her last. 

The young man had been shaken to his core by this information as it was laid bare before his eyes, showing his true parentage. He wondered how this story was to ever become better. He had been silent in the conversation until now, keeping the secrets of knowledge stored within him, when he voiced this thought aloud. The familiar man told him of how he had plans for the kingdom to avoid the rapidly approaching civil war, but he would need the young man’s help. The young man knew he was placed in a position where he had very little choice in the matter, and so he agreed with the man, knowing he would have to keep himself closely guarded within these walls for the foreseeable future if he wanted his country to stay safe. 

The familiar man told him of his plans to keep the country from war and, suddenly, the young man knew the situation was much more dire than he had previously thought. He knew he would have to work in the shadows, making moves in the life or death game of chess the older man had decided upon playing. The familiar man had decided to play god in a country surrounded by the devils. And all the young man knew was that he would have to protect the kingdom the man played with in his wretched game. He only prayed the man would not find the secret hiding in the streets of the country that would become the deciding factor, as he worked behind the scenes. The young man tilted his head down, fearful of the outcome of this game currently being played.

The older man stayed in his seat for another few minutes before standing up to leave, but not before he said, “So you’ll help me make the perfect prince?” 

He raised his head towards the man with his shoulders squared and all the defiance he had simmering underneath his skin and said, “Yes, Father.”


	2. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conner and the boys arrive and Darius spends all his time brooding.

I watched as the wagon pulled up to the front gates of the place I had come to know as Farthenwood. It was located near a small town named Tithio and was clearly meant to be highly extravagant. I had spent the past few days attempting to become as close to Conner as I could. His plans were terrifying and would spell disaster for the future of Carthya if he were to succeed. In order to carry out my own secret plans I would have to tread carefully, making the most calculated of moves. 

I was looking through the window in the heights of Farthenwood when Conner got out of the wagon with three young and queasy looking boys. I couldn’t make out many details of their appearances from the distance that I was at, hidden at the top of the house, but I knew what their features were supposed to look like, and I found myself wanting to meet the boys less and less. 

Conner was waving his hands, gesturing to the house, most likely giving them instructions before meeting for the dinner in which Conner planned to tell the boys of his plans of treason in the kingdom. I would meet with Conner that night after dinner was served so that the boys chosen would not meet me before it was time. Conner had believed that the less people that knew of my survival, the better, and it was one of the few things I could agree with my father on. 

I continued to think upon the shocking revelation of my birth as the group went inside and the wagon was pulled away. The man had made such a preposterous claim that at first I had denied it to myself, but inside I knew it was true. There always felt to be a sort of separation between my parents and myself, that I had accounted to being the crowned prince saddled with the future of the kingdom. While that was most likely very true, moments throughout my life that had seemed odd had begun to fall into place. 

After some time had passed and I knew that dinner was currently being served, I made my way to the kitchens in search of my own dinner. Despite keeping the knowledge of my identity secret, many of the servants, if not all, knew of my presence at Farthenwood. I had a few especially engaging conversations with the head cook in the kitchens while I had a midnight snack. I’d like to say that I had entered the servants' good graces as they seemed to like me well enough, but few were brave enough to speak to me. 

I had spoken to the cooks the previous day and was able to get a section of dinner set aside for myself to eat in the kitchens to hear the news of what was happening inside the dining room. I could hear two female servants gossiping over one boy in particular as I arrived but remained nameless. 

“The way he speaks to Master Conner, can you believe it?” The first woman asked incredulously. 

“There’s no way Master Conner will pick him, not with the way he acts!” The second parroted back to her friend.

I have to say I almost wish he would, did you see how he reacted when that water got spilled? It’s not going to go over well for her with the rest of the servants, but he was about to defend her!”

“Yes, I know, but he holds no respect for Master Conner, that much is clear, especially with how he talked back when Master Conner told him to switch his hands!”

“He was so interesting to listen to, I wish we could’ve stayed in the room but Master Conner ordered us out, and I’m not about to disobey an order, especially with only-” The two servants were cut off in their gossiping as the head cook yelled at them, “Stop wasting time running your mouths and get to work on the dishes!” They quickly ran over to the dishes to get to work and I lost my source of information, but I had heard enough.

The boy was obviously going to be a test to Conner in the next two weeks. From the little I had heard, he reminded me so strongly of Jaron that it hurt. I missed my younger brother but I thanked all the higher beings I could think of that he was safe. He wasn’t in the castle when our parents were killed, by whom I was sure was Conner, even if I had no proof. Jaron had always spoken his mind and was quick to the defense of others. He was incredibly smart despite what most of Carthya liked to believe. 

After I had finished eating I quickly thanked the kitchen servants for the meal and made my way back to my room. I knew that Conner would have the boys in the dining room for a long time explaining his plans, and there was no more information for me to gain with the room closed off to the servants. Anything else I would need to know, I would most likely hear about shortly and I already knew Conner’s treacherous plans. I needed to prepare myself to meet with Conner as the meeting came faster than I would have ever liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided I'm going to try to update this every Wednesday, but I will be posting the next chapter on Friday. I'm so excited to put out another chapter and I hope you all enjoyed!


	3. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius learns more information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so LISTEN I know I said I was gonna post on Friday, but guess what I didn't do? That's right. So here's chapter 3, I hope you all enjoy and know that comments motivate me to write!

I was almost ready to leave and attempt to reschedule the meeting with Conner when the man stormed into the room with an indecipherable look on his face. I stayed seated as the man paced back and forth across the large room and I wondered idly if he would leave marks on the floor. “Well, I can only presume dinner went well for you, Father,” I said after several beats had passed. It may not have been my smartest moment, especially not with the look Conner leveled towards me. I hated calling him my father but it would become a necessary evil. 

“I’m selling my soul to the devils to make this plan work, and they have sent the worst possible candidates to me, that I predict they must be laughing!” Conner began to rant as he slowed his pace. “If I may be of assistance, I could help to make any of them into the perfect prince for your plan if I only know more of them.” I already knew of the boys but I needed to know more in order to prepare my own plans. 

“There’s three boys going by the names of Roden, Tobias, and Sage,” Conner started and I nodded, noting everything Conner said about the boys. 

“Roden is completely uneducated and it would take months for him to learn all that the prince would have known. However, he does have some training with a sword and is physically strong, but he has no confidence and I cannot see Carthya flourishing underneath him.” Conner said as he began to calm down and think as rationally as I believed the man could. 

“Tobias is well-versed in his education but he has no spine. He is overzealous and desperate to prove himself. He would not be able to pass as Jaron for a single second despite his appearance and knowledge. He would be better as a king’s scribe than as a king himself.” 

“And Sage, Sage is the worst of them all, but he may be what we need.” Conner’s pace picked up again as he continued to speak, “He is uneducated, cannot seem to fight proficiently, and nor does it seem he cares to learn. He is a disrespectful brat sent solely to mock me and looks to be the farthest from what we could presume Jaron would look like today. He’s from Avenia and would see Carthya fall before ever helping to save it. But he has the personality that would be expected of Jaron, we need only take out his terrible manners and defiant nature and he may just be able to convince the court.” 

This must have been the boy the servant girls had been referring to. I inwardly snorted after Conner’s last statement. Jaron’s personality as I knew him was largely made up of “terrible manners and defiant nature,” but Conner did seem correct in his assessment of the boys, as I told him so. 

“It seems that they each have something that we would need of the younger prince. Roden seems to have the strength, Tobias, the education, and Sage, the personality. The question that remains is which one would be able to convince the court? You are the one who has come from inside the courts.” 

“I’m not yet sure of which boy would do the best work of convincing the other regents. You will be able to help them each, correct?” Conner asked as he finally stopped his movement and I nodded in response to him. “Yes, I believe I will be able to Father, but I will need to meet them each myself to fully assess their abilities before I can begin.” 

Conner nodded. “You will meet with each of them individually tomorrow as their lessons start then. I pray to the devils they will listen to you,” He said worriedly and apparently decided the meeting was finished between us and left the room. This was fine with me, as I had no interest in actually spending time with the man. I had gained a lot of new information to ponder as I readied for bed before a long day to come tomorrow. As I climbed into bed with my plans laid out, there was a large question that kept returning to my mind. 

“Where have I heard the name Sage before?”


	4. The Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius starts his lessons.

The second full day at Farthenwood began in a flurry of movement. Sage had apparently been lost during a horseback lesson and the rest of the day, including my lessons, had been pushed to today. There were people moving everywhere to get rooms set up for the boys to be trained, furniture moving, and all the things one may expect from the current situation to be happening. 

The day first started to go wrong when I passed Conner’s study on my way to the kitchens before I began the dreaded lessons, set to take place that afternoon after the morning lessons. The door was cracked open and I could hear Conner’s angry voice next to the voices of the two of what seemed to be his most loyal henchmen. I had met them both, Cregan and Mott, and while I found neither particularly pleasurable, it was clear that Mott was a much better man than anyone else in the current room. As I began to listen in on the conversation from my hidden point in the hallway, I could tell much had gone wrong. 

“What do you mean the sword is missing, that sword is the exact replica!” Conner fumed from behind his desk, looking as if he were about to explode. 

“Yes Sir, I’m terribly sorry, I have no idea where it could have gone.” Mott, a fairly large man, responded in what seemed to be a genuine voice. 

“I know exactly where it’s gone! First that wretched boy loses my horse and now the sword is missing! It must have been Sage! You know he’s been taken by the devils and I pray that you will let me destroy him.” Cregan boomed back in reply to Conner. I wasn’t entirely sure what Cregan’s problem was, but I had decided to make it my personal mission to steer as far clear of the man as I possibly could. 

“Sir, I must inform you that while Sage has shown to be,” Mott paused, searching for the best word, “uncooperative, he cannot have been the one to take the replica of the deceased prince’s sword. He has been with me for the large majority of his time outside of lessons so far today, and even when he hasn’t been, he seems to be too injured to be able to successfully take and hide a sword such as that replica.” I was curious to meet Sage the most of all the boys, as he seemed entirely against this plan he had been forced into. He also seemed familiar to me and I had no idea where I could’ve possibly heard the name, especially if he was from Avenia. My best guess would have to be that the stories I’d heard of the boy reminded me of a certain younger brother that I could only dearly miss. 

“I still think you should allow me to search him and hang him by the heels overnight in the dungeons. That would teach the brat a lesson.” I rolled my eyes from my hiding spot at Cregan’s words, but I knew it would never happen. I was well aware of the dungeons and I would never let that happen. No child deserved to be stuck there or in this wretched plan. 

“No, thank you.” Conner paused to inhale deeply and seemed to regain control. “The sword, while useful, is not important to the success of one of the boys becoming the lost prince. We will just have to make due without it.” He said, effectively ending the conversation. They began to move and I quickly made my way past the room and out of sight before they could realize I had been eavesdropping. 

As I arrived in the kitchens and began to eat, I thought of what I knew of each of the boys. It seemed Tobias would be the easiest to work with, as he was already somewhat educated. Roden would take more work, but as long as he paid attention, I could most likely get important information in and learn what I could from their knowledge of the situation. Sage was still up in the air. The boy would either be my ally or my enemy, depending entirely on this first lesson, it seemed from what I had heard of him. He seemed to be a handful, but I already enjoy the stories I had heard of him. No, I can’t get attached to these kids. My involvement was already bad enough. Conner had not told me what would happen to the two boys that were not picked, but only a true idiot wouldn’t be able to decipher Conner’s plans. I would try my hardest to save all of them, but the reality was that at the end of the two weeks, there would most likely be two new bodies at Farthenwood. 

I glanced up and realized how much time I had spent thinking of the current plan, and I quickly left to the room set aside for my portion of the tutoring. From what I understood, the boys had not been informed entirely of who I was, just that I was close to the royal family. The closer I moved to the room, the more I dreaded what would take place there and in the next two weeks. I entered the room and quickly set up a couple of chairs for my plans for the lesson. 

The first boy to enter was Tobias. Each lesson was myself and the kid alone, with three separate sessions. There would be guards stationed outside the door, but for the most part we were completely alone after the boy was escorted inside. 

Tobias, true to Conner’s word, was well educated and seemed to soak knowledge up like a sponge. The kid was eager to please and unwilling to fail. I suspected none of the boys were. The lesson went fairly well, as I continued to gauge the boy’s personality and mannerisms, while still teaching him what I needed to in order to keep Conner’s suspicions away from myself. Soon enough, it was time for the lesson to end and I escorted Tobias to the door. 

The next boy to be brought in through the door was Roden, who was much less educated but just as eager to please. Neither boy had grasped who I was when I had introduced myself as Mr. D. If either boy had found it odd, they didn’t question it. Of course they both had bigger issues in their minds than my name. Roden was far less quick to gather information than Tobias had been, but I quickly learned he was extremely intelligent when it came to tactical situations and the military functions in the kingdom. It seemed that neither boy would do well as king, but rather as working closely with one. Just as Tobias’s lesson, Roden’s was quickly over and I had only one left: Sage. 

Sage was not as punctual as the other two boys and I waited for a few minutes when I heard people heading for the door. 

“Will this lesson have a proper seat? I’d hate it if you were forced to fetch me another seat.” I heard who I could only assume to be Sage snark from around the corner. He sounded exactly like Ja- No. I could not entertain the thought that I wasn’t the only member of my family here and Jaron’s presence would only complicate my plans. But it sounded just like him. Someone grunted in reply and the doors to the room opened as the third boy was brought in. I turned and we both barely attempted to hold in a gasp. I composed myself and turned to the man who had brought him here. 

“Thank you. You may leave now.” I choked out and barely noticed the man leaving and the doors closing. I paused for a second before I said, 

“Jaron.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao please let me know what you think


	5. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius holds his last lesson of the day.

My mind had been racing all day but everything came to a halt as soon as I saw him standing there. It had been years since I’d seen my little brother and he looked every bit the same yet different at the same. His hair had become much longer and darker. He had clearly gone through a growth spurt or two and I could tell he had grown much skinnier due to no longer living in the castle. 

Jaron looked away from the door, indignant face turning to shock as he took in who was standing in front of him, before his face quickly became unrecognizable. He was shutting me out and my heart ached as he crossed his arms over his chest and carefully said, “I’m not Jaron. My name is Sage.” He looked pale and his voice silently shook as he attempted to remain collected. He could deny all he wanted, but I knew I would recognize my brother anywhere. 

“Okay then, Sage.” I nodded. As much as I wanted to pull my brother to me and never let go, I could recognize that he wanted his space. We both stared at each other for a few moments before I finally snapped out of it and pulled up the two chairs, offering him a place to sit, which I was glad that he took. 

“So, the lesson?” Jaron spoke up.

“Yes, the lesson.” I startled, “Uhm, Conner wanted me to teach all three of you about the inner workings of royal life.” He nodded and continued to look anywhere I wasn’t. 

“With the royal family gone, someone will need to-” I began but was quickly cut off. 

“If the throne is so important, why don’t you take it?” 

I straightened and responded as gently as I could, while recalling the painful information, “I’ve recently discovered that I am not a relative of the deceased King and Queen.” I scratched my neck and looked at Jaron. I could see the barely concealed shock and confusion cracking through his walls before looking away. “Apparently I am the son of one of the regents.” I continued, emphasizing the word regents to attempt to leave enough hints for Jaron to pick up without taking away my own plausible deniability. 

“But I do know how the inside of the castle functions through many lessons, both life and through teachers. I know how the regents work, almost better than they do. I know exactly how to convince them that you are someone that you are not.” 

Jaron’s eyes quickly sharpened as he began to pick up the pieces I had laid to attempt to explain the entire situation. I quickly continued with the lesson, grazing over information he already knew and neither of us were paying attention to. I could feel his eyes and his questions burning into my head whenever I was looking away from him, yet he continued to look anywhere but me whenever I turned back to him. 

The man came back into the room as the lesson time quickly ended and yelled for Jaron to move along. I could feel Jaron’s annoyance radiate across the room. Something loud dropped outside of the door, distracting the man and he quickly distanced himself from Jaron towards the hallway, and I reached out for Jaron. 

I whispered, “Look, Jaron, we-”

“My name is Sage.” Jaron snapped back at me, now having regained some of his confidence. 

“Well, Sage, I’m always here if you need any help inside Farthenwood. Or outside of it.” I let go of his arm as I heard the man’s footsteps coming back, “But I do have to say it was interesting, that the boy from Avenia was the only one of three that recognized me as who I truly am.” I finished and sealed off my own facial expressions as the man walked back into the room. 

“Just a chair falling over, sir. I’ll be taking him back now.” The man said as he grabbed Jaron’s arm and pulled him out of the room, for once without resistance. After they had left, I waited a few minutes, standing alone in the room before opening the scrawled note shoved in my hand in handwriting I hadn’t seen in too long. It contained no more than three words but I had never been more grateful to read anything in my life.

“The roof. Midnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i'm sorry to my 4 loyal commenters/readers i SWEAR it's coming literally next chapter


	6. The Roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius has a meeting on the roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

I had finished my lessons for the day and dinner alone, continuing what might have been a relaxing evening if not for the worries that consistently troubled me these days. Luckily Conner had stayed fairly busy that day, doing God knows what. I knew the man very rarely took part in any of the lessons, besides making meal time a lesson, which I was informed that I would be joining after today.

My mind had been filled all day with worries of Jaron. I had so many questions for him and I prayed he would actually be on the roof tonight. I never liked heights, especially after the time I fell, climbing after Jaron. Jaron seemed to belong to the sky, to be free. He was like a bird and he never should have been caged inside Farthenwood. 

When would midnight arrive faster? 

What was Jaron’s plan? Was it anything like mine? 

Why did Conner have to pick him? 

What would Conner do to Jaron if he found out his true identity? 

Why didn’t Jaron stay safe in the orphanage like the king had promised? 

Why didn’t I help him more than I did? 

Would I be able to help him this time? 

Stop. I was spiraling into my worries. I could wait patiently for my questions to be answered and I would help Jaron or I would die trying. I looked out the window and saw the sky had darkened in my thoughts and I began to head to the roof. Luckily there were steps upwards in hidden passageways that Conner had shown me earlier in my stay at Farthenwood. I sat down on the roof a few feet from the edge of the roof in order to wait for Jaron. The sky was dark and had been for some time but the skyline was still visible from my spot on the roof. The land seemed to roll in waves beautifully with colors that seemingly flowed together. It was as if an artist had taken their darkest colors and made their masterpiece across the sky. I felt I might’ve appreciated it more if I were seeing it for any other reason than I was. Or maybe I wouldn’t. 

I might have continued pondering the sky but light footsteps had broken me from my thoughts. I turned in time to see Jaron appear from over the wall from where he had climbed up to the top of the roof. 

“I’m surprised you made it up here. You never liked climbing.” Jaron huffed out once he pulled himself up. The relief overwhelmed me as he acknowledged who we both were. 

“Yes, well, it’s never been for anything as important as this. Besides, there are stairs, so.” I replied, suddenly feeling awkward. For all my agonizing, I had not come up with what I actually wanted to say. I shifted before asking, “Are you okay? I mean, obviously we’re here but, are you okay?” 

He gave me a look that made me slightly wince, but he most likely couldn’t see it in the dark and ignored my question, asking his own. “What are you doing here? Was what you said earlier true?”   
I instantly knew what he was asking and I had been dreading this moment since I found out the truth myself. I drew in a breath, preparing myself and answered, “Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately I was never the child of King Eckbert and Queen Erin. I don’t know all the information myself, but I can explain it as best I can, if you want?” Jaron nodded. He had been slightly moving closer throughout our few words so far and I could see him much better. I could see the clear resemblance to mother in Jaron with scattered bits of father. Mostly though, Jaron looked like the child he truly was and I knew he needed someone to lean on, even if he would rather die than admit it. 

I spent several minutes explaining the information I had been told about my birth to Jaron and I told him who my birth father actually was. Jaron was unusually quiet as I explained, and when I reached the end of my explanation I said the part most important to me, “Parentage aside, I will always be your brother and I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me before.” 

Jaron was silent for a while as we stood there in silence. I knew he was thinking over everything I had just told him. I knew how overwhelming it was to learn and it took time to process. I was willing to wait however long it took. Suddenly he looked back up towards me and whispered in the most vulnerable voice I’d ever heard from him, “Why didn’t you do anything? Back then?” 

It was the question that crushed my very heart and soul. 

“I wish I had. Every day, but I believed father, and I guess that’s where I went wrong. He said that you were safer where he had left you and I thought that he knew what he was doing in that decision, even if I hadn’t understood. I don’t understand much of anything anymore though, so I guess I should have asked more questions. Done more. I’m sorry I didn’t.” 

Jaron nodded and I can only assume that my apology was successful as he moved closer to me and we sat down on the roof. “You know we have to do something about him, right? What he’s doing it’s-” 

“It’s treason, yes. He’s said that he has proof of your death on the ship. I’m not sure what he could have but it has to be something that he could use as blackmail. We have to act carefully and we have to work together in order to stop him from inevitably starting a war.” I responded. 

“He believes he’s stopping one with this plan. But he killed them, didn’t he? Just like he killed Latamer.” Jaron spit out furious. I wasn’t sure who Latamer was, but I knew who “they” were and I could wholly agree with Jaron’s anger. “Latamer trusted him when he said he could leave if he wanted but he just killed him. Just to send a message!” Jaron fell to my side, as he fumed over the many injustices committed by Bevin Conner and that would likely continue. 

“They're really gone, aren't they?” He asked and all I could do was nod through the lump in my throat. 

“I'm sorry. For all this. You've never deserved this.” I pulled Jaron closer to me into a hug. 

I knew Conner would go far for his plan. I knew Conner was making deals with the devils. What I think Conner didn’t know was that after all his deals, hell would be empty, and all the devils here. 

No matter how many deals Conner made, I knew one thing: I would keep the kid next to me safe. 

Even if it meant selling my soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this! I'm not sure where it's going from here, but it's going somewhere lmao


	7. The Very Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius makes a bargain and meets someone new.

I was walking down the hallway and turned around the corner when I felt an arm grab me. I tensed and spun to defend myself from the perceived attack when I saw that the man who had grabbed my arm was one of Conner’s servants. I had seen him multiple times near the boys, and while he seemed intimidating, I had the impression from watching him that there was more to the man than muscles. I wasn’t sure what the man could want from me though and my impressions could have very well been entirely wrong if I wasn’t careful, so I forced myself to relax my body. 

“I need to talk to you after this meeting.” The man said, releasing my arm, as if he suddenly remembered his own strength and my status. “It’s urgent.”

“After this meeting.” I nodded. I wasn’t sure what the man could want and I might’ve been making a huge mistake, but something told me I needed to hear what the man had to say. I smoothed myself out and continued into the room where I was meeting with Conner. 

I closed the door behind me and moved to the seating in the office. I had to admit that the furniture in Farthenwood, for the most part, seemed to be largely purposed for decoration. I could wholly say that I did not enjoy it, but, like most of my stay at Farthenwood, I could pretend I did. 

“Father, you wanted to see me?” I asked as Conner continued to look at the papers on his desk. 

“Yes, I have been informed you have finished your first lessons with all three boys. What progress have you been able to make with them?” Conner replied, reluctantly looking upwards from his papers, that on closer inspection looked to be letters. 

“Yes, I believe you were correct in your assessments of the boys. Tobias is by far the most intellectually advanced of the boys and Roden has displayed the interests in battle and swordsmanship that the prince did. I also noticed that Tobias displayed much of the more creative thinking that the prince did, while Roden showed the merciful nature the prince showed in private.” 

Conner hummed in reply and asked, “And the third? Sage? What of your impressions of the young devil?” 

“That may be where we differ in opinions, Father.” Conner looked up in surprise at my statement. “Sage seems to be the closest to the prince in personality. He took different, creative methods to approach problems and spoke, maybe not as a prince would, but as the prince I knew would. It would be wise to remember the person the prince was known as and not just the attributes of princes everywhere.” 

Conner looked in surprise. Silence rang out for a moment in the room before I said, “That is the reason that I ask that I continue individual lessons with each boy. They have all shown to take different approaches to the knowledge only I can give and I cannot effectively give that information to all of them together.” 

The silence continued for several moments increasing into an awkward situation. I refused to show that to Conner though and kept my face neutral as he stood and started pacing. 

“Very well. You may continue individual lessons with shortened class times.” I internally sighed in relief that he accepted my request. “On one condition.” I immediately thought of a few choice words that would’ve had the palace teachers scrubbing my mouth with soap. 

I nodded. “Whatever it is.” 

“I have recently received word that the lovely Amarinda of Bultain will be visiting Farthenwood before continuing onward to Drylliad. She has heard the rumours of the deaths of the royals and has come to confirm this for herself.” I felt myself freeze as soon as I heard her name. I had known Amarinda since before I could remember and she was the person there for me any time I needed her. She knew me better than I knew myself. 

She would see through me in a heartbeat. 

I repeated those thoughts that would have probably gotten me sent to bed without dinner. 

Conner walked further my direction. “You are to have no contact with the princess. That is the condition.” 

I exhaled the nervous energy that had been on the build up and nodded. “Yes, Father. I will have no contact with the princess.” 

“Very good.” Conner said, seemingly satisfied as he moved back to his desk. “You’re dismissed.” 

I stood up and left the office, closing the door behind me. As much as I wanted to see Amarinda, I knew that if she saw me I would never be able to finish my goals here. There would be no future for Carthya and I would rather ask her forgiveness than see her in danger because of my decisions. 

In the meanwhile though, I had another meeting to attend. I turned the corner of the hallway and saw the man who had grabbed my arm before I entered my first meeting. It was turning out to be a day filled with many surprises. 

“You wanted to meet?” I asked the man. 

“Yes. Would you mind walking with me? Somewhere perhaps with less ears.” I nodded and we continued down the hallways. “My name is Mott.” I opened my mouth to introduce myself but before I could he continued on. “I wanted to talk with you about some information regarding the going ons at Farthenwood.” 

By this time we had walked outdoors near the stables, but still far enough from any prying ears. “What of the events here? Is it about any of the boys?” I asked and he nodded. 

“Who do you expect will become the prince?” Mott asked. 

I tried to evade his question as I still didn’t know of his intentions. “Well I see the merits of each of the boys, Tobias has the-” Mott leveled me with a look I hadn’t seen from very many people before. I wouldn’t describe it as a glare but more of a look that showed a higher intelligence and wanted the acknowledgement of it in conversations.   
Something in me screamed to trust the man so I asked, “Who do you believe it will be? I saw you arrive with them, you clearly know of them and who I am.” 

Mott sighed and replied, “It’ll be Sage, whether Conner believes it yet or not. I saw the boy in our own personal training and he has the most potential of the boys, if he’d only bend to Conner.” I snorted. “You don’t agree?” 

“No, I actually do. I just believe that you could sooner divert a river from its course than bend Sage’s will to Conner’s. Why do you ask all of this?” 

“I need to know that someone else believes in Sage. While I may owe Conner a lot, the man does not deserve any connection to the throne. Sage is the only option that would not give him that. I believe you believe this as well.” Mott said. 

I said the words that would have doomed me in any other situation. 

“I do.” 

“Very good. If you need anything come find me. Just beware that Cregan does not share our belief.” Mott said and patted my shoulder before walking away. I was half-convinced that Conner’s men would swarm any second, taking me out as I stood there, but nothing happened. 

I believed that I may have a new unexpected alliance in Farthenwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahah,,,, yea h


	8. The Explorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius holds lessons. He also has some bonding time and learns a couple secrets.

I had woken up to a new day, just as busy as the ones before it had been. I had no idea how much worse Farthenwood would become before the end, and therefore I tried to enjoy the few enjoyable moments that I could. Lessons, unexpectedly, became one of those few times that I could enjoy being here. Of course, I hated why I was here and how the boys had been brought here, but I did enjoy teaching them all and seeing their progress. 

My first lesson was with Tobias, who was still wary of the people in Farthenwood, but he absorbed information like a sponge absorbs water. While Roden was much more of a hands on learner and required seeing what he was learning, Tobias learned well from textbooks and written documents. It was towards the end of the lesson when I heard a huff of frustration come from the boy. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked turning around towards Tobias. 

“Nothing, just these papers.” He replied, shuffling the papers as he stood up. 

“What’s the issue with the papers?” 

“They won’t stay together and I can’t find the ones I-” He started but was cut off as the papers fell and drifted to the floor. “-want.” He finished making a face as he bent down to pick up the notes. 

“I can help with that if you like. We still have a few minutes of lessons left.” I said as I bent down to help pick the papers up. He gave me a surprised look and nodded, accepting my help. We got the papers off the floor and I put them on the desk in front of us. 

“First we need to sort these by topics. Government papers in one stack, history in another, important people in another, et cetera, it doesn’t entirely matter as long as it makes sense to you,” I said as I moved to the other side of the room looking for the materials I would need. 

“I can do that!” Tobias replied as I continued looking for my materials. I found the pencil I had been using to teach on the floor and pulled a piece of yarn from the desk. 

“Finished!” He said, sounding pleased with himself. 

“Great!” I saw Tobias shine with the praise and I knew he needed it. “Now we need to get them all into one stack.” He nodded and quickly pulled them together into one stack. 

“Now I take this pencil and poke it through here- ah ha!” I said as the pencil effectively made a hole in the papers where I wanted and I tied the yarn through all the pages. “Now you can have them all together without falling. And you can even untie it to add more papers or reorganize.” 

Tobias watched amazed as I handed him the papers neatly tied together. “Thank you!” He practically bounced and I felt myself smile. “You’re welcome. Now go on to your next lesson. Better not be late.” I said and Tobias nodded and ran off towards his next lesson. 

It was just a few moments later that Roden approached the room, just on time for the next lesson on my agenda. 

“Come on in!” I raised my voice slightly to be heard from across the room. I saw Roden walk into the room towards me. 

“Great, today I was thinking we could get out of this old room. I’ve heard you’re good with a sword and I’d like to see how you do. What do you think?” I asked. Roden looked up excitedly nodding. 

“Cregan’s been working some with me, so I’m getting much better than I was before,” Roden began excitedly and I knew I had made the right decision for today’s lesson. I led him out of the room to the training area. 

“That’s great! I’ve heard you’re amazing with a sword and I think it’s time I see that in action.” I said as we reached the training area and I picked a sword that felt comfortable to me. “How do you feel about going up against me?” I asked.

Roden looked at me, slightly wide eyed before narrowing them and picked his own sword. He had a smile on his face and I knew he was excited to spar. 

We sparred between the two of us for a large majority of the lesson and I gave him pointers on his stance and more slight movements that he had missed previously. I looked out to check the time and found it was about time for the lesson to go, so I put up my sword. 

“I’m going to let you leave lessons a few minutes early since it’s almost time anyways. You did a great job during the spar! I’d wager you’d give a lot of the kings a run for their money in a fight,” I said, watching Roden’s face light up. 

“Really? I felt there were a few spots I could’ve fixed.” 

“Yeah, but you’re doing amazing for someone with the training that you’ve had,” I reassured Roden and he smiled before nodding and leaving the training room, going back towards his room. 

I walked back to the room I used to teach my lessons and sat down in my seat. I sighed and let my head fall back on the seat. These were amazing kids and I wanted to help them so much, but I had no idea how. They truly were good people and they didn’t deserve to be wrapped in Conner’s plans. 

I was cut out of my musings as Jaron entered the room for my last lesson of the day. My head shot back upwards and I smiled when I saw him and he closed the door behind him before smiling back towards me. 

His smile quickly turned into a grin and he laughed, “So teacher, what are we doing today?” 

I smiled. “I have a few plans for us around here on infrastructure. Mostly you’ll be writing lines so it should be quiet,” I said and tapped my ears. 

Jaron nodded and made a face against learning about lines on infrastructure of all things. I waved my hand indicating for him to join me and moved towards the corner of the room where the tapestry was. I held a finger to my lips and silently pushed open the hidden door and closed it behind both of us. 

“We’re good now, we can speak freely but keep our voices down, I’m not sure how well anyone can hear outside of the walls.” I said. 

“Does this go all the way around Farthenwood?” Jaron asked, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and wonder. 

“I believe so. I haven’t been through all of them but I know it goes through most of the house, up to the roof and down to the basement.” I replied and Jaron nodded. 

“This would’ve been great to know about when I was hiding that sword.” He said.

“I knew that was you, they couldn’t find any proof of who took it but I knew it had to be you. Where did you put it anyways?” I laughed. 

“I hid it in the forest. I thought it would be good for practicing. Roden’s good with a sword and I don’t particularly want him to have an exact imitation of mine to study. I’m going to put the gold out there too, once I get my clothes back.”

“The gold father gave you? He said that he gave you a way to identify yourself to Kerwyn and implied very heavily that it was a special piece of gold,” I asked and he hummed in response as we continued through the tunnels. 

“I should probably warn you that Amarinda is coming to Farthenwood. I’m not going to be allowed near her as she would immediately recognize me, but I’m not sure if she’ll recognize you.” I said. 

“Yes, Conner told us that she’s coming last night at dinner. I don’t like that he’s pulling more people into this plan.” He said, making a face. I couldn’t help but agree. “I should be able to stay in the kitchens for the majority of the time and we’re not supposed to speak to her, so I shouldn’t be recognizable.”   
I nodded. 

“We’ll have to worry about that possibility if it happens.” I said. “How do you think Roden and Tobias are doing?” I asked. 

He snorted. “Tobias is secretive and paranoid with his notes. He’s been hiding them in a hole in his mattress. Luckily he thinks I can’t read. He’s got plans for how to take care of Conner if he gets the throne. Roden wants to strike a partnership, but I’m not sure how long it would last.” 

“I understand the hesitancy. I’ve got a potential ally in one of Conner’s bodyguards. He came to me yesterday very much against Conner.”   
Jaron nodded in response as he looked at where we were inside Farthenwood. I was fairly sure we were near the kitchens. 

“There’s a girl here, she’s mute, and I keep seeing her with bruises on herself. I think it’s from the other staff in the kitchen, but obviously she can’t speak, so I’m not sure who it actually is.” 

I felt a flare of anger before I pushed it back down. “Do you want me to talk to Conner about it? Maybe he can do something about the staff’s treatment of each other?”

“I’m not sure. She obviously didn’t want any help and the attention it brought to her seemed very negative.” He replied. 

I nodded. “I’ll look into it and see what I can do.” I said, giving him a small smile and was happy to see one in return. We were almost back to the room where I taught from and I knew our time was almost up. 

“We have another lesson tomorrow, so I’ll see what I can do and fill you in tomorrow, ok?” I said and he nodded. I opened the door back to the room silently and we both entered. I closed it behind me and got to my desk just in time for the knock on the door that would take Jaron away from me again until tomorrow. We both nodded at each other and Jaron left the room. I could see his defenses rising as he went back to place outside of the lesson. 

As the door closed, an unexpected hand came to stop the door from closing all the way. I looked up, interested to see who it could be now that my lessons were finished and was surprised to see it was Mott. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked, standing as he closed the door behind him. 

“I wanted to warn you.” Mott began. “Conner is about to make a move against Sage. One of the servants found a coin in the clothes Sage requested to be returned and turned it in to Conner.” I felt myself pale as I knew what would happen. 

This was a test for Jaron. 

And I wouldn’t be able to intervene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I'm super excited to work on the next chapter!


	9. The Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius and Conner find a few of their differences.

I had spent all morning attempting to find a way to keep Jaron safe without giving up his identity to Conner and so far I had found nothing. There was nothing I could think of without more time and resources. There was no one I could truly trust and I knew that this would only end badly. I had spent my day between the library and the classroom hoping Jaron might show up. I knew already that Conner would be beyond anger but I had no idea the extent he might take his anger. 

And I was already aware of the dungeons. 

I was currently moving between the library and the classroom when I heard a scream that pierced me to my core. 

I knew who that was. 

I knew without a doubt. 

Jaron. 

I ran down the hallway towards the scream. I could only assume it had come from the dungeons and I ran down the spiral stairs. I had to get to Jaron. Jaron was all that mattered. I had to stop that scream from ever happening again. 

As I sprinted down the steps I came to the door and-

It wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t get in. 

I banged on the door as hard as I could. No one answered. 

“Let me in!” I screamed through the door with no response. Not a single sound. I refused to let myself think of what Jaron silenced could possibly mean. I ran back up the stairs towards Conner’s office and once I was directly outside the door I ran into Mott. 

“He wants to see you. I’m sorry.” Mott said. 

“Conner or my brother?” I replied, glancing at the blood staining Mott’s hands and I pushed my way past him into the office, closing the door behind me before he could reply. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. 

All I wanted was my brother back. 

“Sit down.” Conner said from behind his desk, looking as unperturbed as always. 

“No, I don’t think I will.” I stood defiantly in place next to the door. 

“Oh?” Conner questioned, raising an eyebrow and finally looking up towards me. 

“Not until you give me sufficient reason for why you have a child locked up and tortured in your dungeons.” 

"Well that is what those are for.” 

"That wasn’t what I was asking. And I won’t be asking again.” 

“My, well look who grew a spine.” Conner said, clapping slowly. “But you would do well to remember who holds the cards in this room.” 

I held my position in the room with my chin held high. 

“As for Sage, he stole something of mine that I would very much like back.” He examined his nails remaining calm, as if without a care in the world. As if he weren’t torturing my brother underneath our feet. 

“You seem to care a great deal for him, don’t you?” 

“You certainly don’t.” I said avoiding the question. “What did he steal?” I already knew the gold rightfully belonged to Jaron and Conner was looking for it, but I needed to play the correct cards in Conner’s game to come out alive. 

“A simple piece of fool’s gold.” 

“If it’s so simple, why torture a fourteen year old boy for it? Better yet, buy your own, real, gold.” I pointed out bitterly. 

“You cannot buy loyalty.” 

“You cannot beat it either. Not everything will bend to your will.” 

“No, not everything, but what matters will. And I would pick your words more carefully if I were you. You would do well to remember the princess is visiting very soon.” He smirked as my facade cracked and I stiffened at the threat against Amarinda. 

“That is not fair.” I said carefully, feeling as if I were surrounded by dangerous animals. 

“We made a deal with the devil, Darius! Did you really think it would be fair?” He sighed and continued on. 

“And Sage, who you seem extremely connected to, for whatever reason, is currently downstairs in my posession. Why are you so close to him, hm? He is the devil, and he will never play fair. For some reason, I still consider him.” Conner said. 

“Let me see him.” I ignored his theats, unfolding from my position on the wall. “I can get your gold back, without torturing an innocent child.” 

“He is the farthest thing from innocent. None of them are.” He said. I clenched my jaw, knowing Conner was stripping them of any innocence they had. 

“I can get the gold. Will you let me or not?” I continued firmly. I would have to find a quick way to convince Jaron. I would have to convince him of the single most impossible thing Jaron would ever do: give up. 

“Very well. The servant you asked after, Imogen, will let you in. You have half the hour. I should have my gold by then.” I nodded sharply and turned to the door, before turning back around. 

“One day, Conner. We will all find ourselves face to face with whatever saw fit to allow our existence in this world, and we will have to justify the space we have filled. I know I can, but I cannot say the same for you.” I saw his expression morph into anger and I slammed the door behind me. 

“Let’s go.” I said and Imogen directed me to the dungeons. Once we reached the end of the journey, I stood aside to allow him to unlock the door. As soon as the lock clicked, I was pushing inward to get to my little brother, who was hanging limply from the ceiling. 

Imogen motioned to Jaron’s back and I nodded, understanding her statement, and she left the cell. 

“Jae.” I whispered and moved towards my brother. I reached upwards to attempt to get his cuffs- god, cuffs!- off his wrists, but to no avail. I moved from the cuffs to assessing Jaron’s injuries, mostly bruises and what looked to be whip lashes across his back. I choked back my own emotions before either Jaron woke up and would need my support or Imogen came back.

I startled as I heard the keys rattling and Imogen returned. I moved over to the door and took the supplies from her before she closed the door back gently. I began to work on spreading the water over Jaron’s back and the water was quickly stained red, not helping my already murderous mood. Once I had his back as clean as I could with the water, I could see how deep the lashes were. They would need alcohol in order to avoid infection. I grabbed the alcohol, hoping Jaron wouldn’t wake up until after I finished cleaning his back. As soon as I poured some of the alcohol, Jaron woke up hissing in pain. 

“It’s okay, Jaron. It's just me. I know it hurts right now but I have to clean this.” I shushed him quietly trying to offer what comfort I could. 

“I don’t like it.” He whispered back and I cracked a smile. If he was joking, I knew he would be alright. I finished cleaning his back with much continued complaints but I could tell he was tired. 

“I know you’re tired but Jae, I need to know where the gold is. That’ll stop all of this.” I said and Jaron shook his head. 

“No. That’ll mean he wins. He can’t win.” He said, my heart breaking a little bit more. 

“Sometimes, we have to lose a battle so we can win a war. I think you know that.” 

Mott peered through the door, having just entered the dungeons, and said, “Master Conner wants to see you. It’s been half an hour.” 

“No. I need more time. If he wants to talk to me, he’ll come here.” I said resolutely, not moving from my space next to Jaron. 

“I won’t give it to him. I can’t.” Jaron said once Mott left, presumably to get Conner. 

“I know. I know, but I don’t think you have a choice right now.” I whispered back. 

“We’re orphans now.” Jaron whispered, shaking. “I-I’m sorry, D.” 

“It’s going to be ok. We’ll make it ok. I know we will.” I said combing my hand through his hair as the shaking stopped. “She helped me. When this is over, I have to help her too.” 

I nodded gently. “We will.” 

We both remained silent in the cell for a few minutes and I continued running my hand through his hair. 

There was another clicking sound as Conner entered the cell and I withdrew my hand. He was silent for a moment, before saying, “You look terrible. I hope you have reflected on your disobedience.” He pulled out a bag filled with multiple items. “I see you’ve been busy.” Conner said, pulling the obviously stolen items out of the bag. Jaron remained silent. 

Conner then pulled a stack of papers out. They had a hole in the top of the page with a clever knot securing them together. “I must ask you about these. Do you know what is on them?” 

“I don’t know what you’re looking at.” Jaron said tiredly. 

“These, seemed to be, in at least my own interpretation of them, to be detailed notes planning to get rid of should the author become king. Do you know who wrote them, Sage?” 

I wanted to bang my head through the wall knowing what Tobias had written. “Is your name on it?” Jaron asked. 

“Of course not, only my interpretations. Tell me the author and I can ask them about it. Did you write them?” I was glad to know that Tobias had at least been safe enough not to mention Conner’s name and it seemed so far that Jaron wouldn’t sell out Tobias. 

“No, you cannot think of me that foolish.” Jaron responded. 

“Roden couldn’t have made these either. It must be Tobias.” Conner said and I bristled slightly. 

“Ask him then.” There was a beat of silence after Jaron’s statement. 

“Mott told me you said during your time here you told him that you would be my prince. Is that so?” 

“You need me.” 

“How so?”

It took Jaron a few seconds before, “I can convince the regents. Tobias and Roden can’t.” 

“So you’ll be their prince. But will you be mine?” Conner said with a tilt of his head and I watched as, like straight from a horror novel Amarinda loved and I hated, Jaron nodded. 

“Good.” Conner said and motioned for the cuffs to be released. “Get some rest before tomorrow. You’ll need it.” 

Jaron dropped from the chains and I caught him, pulling him close to me. Conner didn’t get the gold, but it was clear to see he got what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God slapped me awake at 3am with the sole thought of "oh no" and I posted this and then he decided to nerf me with allergies just enough that he knew I would have to get up just to spite me. Anyways I hope y'all enjoy this and please comment! If the formatting is messed up I'm sorry, this is being posted from my phone!


	10. The Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darius helps teach a more unconventional lesson.

Jaron had been healing well, if not difficultly, since his removal from the dungeon. His difficulty might’ve annoyed me at one point but I was just happy he was alive. After all, he wasn’t anywhere near as hard to get along with as Conner had been since our latest showdown. Conner and I hadn’t had a single conversation since our confrontation before the dungeons. Yet that did not mean that he didn’t attempt to make my life much harder.

I was scared that our confrontation might have lasting impacts. Conner now knew that I cared more about the kids then he had previously thought and the disasters he could cause with the information was tremendous. The plan I had carefully crafted into place was beginning to fray and if Conner pulled the wrong string we might all be doomed. 

There were a couple days that had gone smoothly, before the next incident. The head chef had been particularly angry, stating that one of his knives had been missing. This was particularly bad as he kept the knives sharp at all times. I had my suspicions on who might have taken the knife but I knew I needed to see someone before making my next move. 

During the free hour that I had, I made my way through the tunnels. There was nothing out of place within the tunnels and I quickly found myself at the room I needed. I slipped the note I had into the hole at the bottom of the wall and left. I knew he would see the note very soon as lunch was ending and I needn’t wait long. 

An hour later there was a knock at the door into my room and I whispered, “Come in.” Jaron quickly pushed through the secret door in the wall and closed it behind him. 

“I saw your message. Neither of us have long,” he said, but I didn’t hear him, instead focusing on the cut on his neck. 

“Are you okay?” I asked as I moved closer to my brother and examined his neck. “How’s your back? I haven’t heard much word of you recently.” 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I got my share out of this cut. Tobias is backing down from the competition, as long as I agree to keep him safe once this is all completed.” He said. I wondered if that was where the cut on Jaron’s neck had come from and how terrified Tobias must have been feeling. I made a note to check in on him during his next lesson, whenever it may be. 

“That’s good for you. We’ll make sure he stays safe.” I said. It was the most I could do for now. I hated how the boys had been pitted against each other and I knew I would resent Conner to my deathbed. 

“Good.” Jaron nodded his head sharply. “We need to get to the Dining Room soon. I heard you’re helping teach today’s lesson.” He grinned at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. I didn’t see much of the carefree Jaron I knew, which made it all the more special when I did. 

“Yes I do have to help with the dancing lessons. Laugh it up, we both know I hate dancing.”

He did in fact laugh. “I’ll see you soon.”   
I nodded and he slipped back through the tunnel. I waited a few minutes before leaving my own room heading towards the latest lesson. 

I turned the corner and saw the doors approaching. I pushed them open to see Conner and some of the women from the staff, most likely here to help with dancing instructions. I moved to the side of the room opposite from Conner and did my best job to ignore the other man. Soon the three boys entered the room, all looking to some degree upset. It was almost laughable, and I might have laughed in a different time, but I was too focused on Conner and what he might do in the same room as Jaron. 

Conner began to drone on about the importance of knowing a gentleman’s dance, a lecture I had heard several times myself from my father. Or the king. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt, but I knew I had more pressing issues than my impending existential crisis. Conner called out, breaking me out of my thoughts. 

“Darius and I will show you how a proper dance looks.” Conner said, beckoning for my hand. I stood across from Conner, taking his hand, and we began a simple dance. 

As we moved across the floor, Conner said, “I know you may very well resent me but I do believe I am acting for the greater good of Carthya. I will not apologize for that.” 

“How does torturing one of the potential future kings of Carthya who, I might remind you, are all children, benefit the so-called greater good of Carthya?” I retorted. 

“They must listen to me. They will not know what to do once on the throne and my guidance is essential. If I must have it beat into them then I will. After all, what are a few scars compared to the consequences of a civil war?” 

“My guidance is also crucial to this plan, need I remind you, and you will need every scrap of information I have. If we do not keep the morals we believe then Carthya might as well already be doomed.”

Conner nodded. “You may need to be reminded, I have sold my soul for this plan. I have given my morals for this and doomed myself. You may make me the villain in this story, but remember who got you there when Carthya is no longer in danger of tearing itself apart.” 

The music stopped and I left the floor to go back to my original place on the floor. The boys continued their own practices, but I could not concentrate on the lesson. I knew Conner had sold himself to the devils for his plan, but I had no idea how far until the past few days. We were in more trouble than we knew. 

The rest of the lesson passed in a blur of music and Jaron danced with one of the women, who all seemed fairly nice to the boys. Conner paused in front of me as the lesson ended. “The princess arrives tonight. Do not forget our deal.” 

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and gave Conner a nod. 

“Good.” He left the room and headed towards his quarters. The boys had already left and I was the only person left in the room. I was drained and terrified but I couldn’t help to feel a spark of excitement. 

Tonight, Amarinda arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more of a filler chapter until Amarinda arrives next chapter but I am literally so excited for these interactions y'all! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


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